


Being Sober

by iloveitblue



Series: Prompts [152]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-29
Updated: 2014-12-29
Packaged: 2018-03-04 05:23:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 911
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2953892
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iloveitblue/pseuds/iloveitblue
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The one where Phil is a sober alcoholic and Tony just isn't letting go.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Being Sober

Tony was having a party - and honestly, nowadays, Clint wasn't even surprised anymore. Tony and Thor together in a single place... They found reason to celebrate every little thing. - but today's party is special. Today, they were celebrating the return of Agent Phil Coulson to the team.

Admittedly, it had been a rough few weeks after his husband's return. There were a lot of hurt feelings - most felt betrayed - and a lot of loud screaming - from Natasha mostly, unexpected but reasonable. 

And now, to celebrate Phil getting out of medical and being reinstated as the official Avengers' liaison, Tony was having a party - albeit a small one with just the Avengers, their plus ones, and a few SHIELD agents. Thor even brought mead from Asgard to make sure everybody was drunk at the end of the night. 

So naturally,  _everybody_ was expected to drink. It was all going magnificently too, up until Phil declined.

"Come on Phil! We're celebrating. It's your special day!" Tony put his arm around his shoulders as he tried to put a drink in his hand other than the nearly empty glass of champagne. He wasn't drunk. Not in the he can't walk a straight line drunk at least. Tony was a little tipsy maybe. 

"I'd really rather not, Mr. Stark. I still have this glass to finish." Phil countered raising his flute up to show Tony that yes, he still had a drink. No thank you, I don't want a refill.

"I threw a party for you and you have your own floor with Birdbrain over there." Tony tilted his glass in the direction of a more than tipsy, less than drunk Clint who was bobbing his head to a nonexistent music. "I think you can call me Tony, Agent." 

Phil smiled tightly at him and proceeded to take the genius' arm off of his shoulder. "Thank you, Tony. And I really do appreciate you throwing this party for me but I'd really rather not drink."

Tony pouted, following Phil towards the couch where Clint is now seated, tired from all his dancing and probably nauseated. "Come on, Phil! Live a little!" He paused then giggled. Clint did too when he raised his arm to put over the back of the couch as Phil sat next to him. "You've had, what, one glass of champagne. And I swear, I saw you give Clint your glass when I handed you a shot."

Clint's eyes lit up. "Oh that's 'coz- wait. no. I can't tell 'im. You should tell 'im Phil. Just so he backs off. He won't stop 'til you tell 'im." Clint was starting to slur as he started nuzzling his head in Phil's neck, which means he was dangerously close to that drunk part of the night where he starts singing Phil ballads from the 80's.

Phil sighed. It wasn't really his plan to tell any of the Avengers but Clint had a point. Tony will just keep on following him around like a lost puppy until Phil gives in or he tells the story. Phil would rather take the lesser of two evils.

"I'm sober." Phil said, looking up at Tony as Clint started to sing  _Just Once_ in a breathy tone, tickling Phil's neck.

"I know." Tony rolled his eyes. "That's why I'm offering you a drink! duh."

Phil ignored the temptation to tease the genius and his  _duh_ remark. "No, I mean, I'm sober. I stopped drinking after I botched an op because I drank a little too much, got people hurt. No one was killed thankfully." He looked at Clint and smiled a little too sadly. He raised a hand to run it through Clint's hair. "I thought I'd lose him that night. I was so scared. I felt disgusted with myself. I sat by his side until he woke up but the agony of that wait, of not knowing if he'll make it - all because I was drunk... I never want to experience that again. Almost 7 years now, too." 

Tony frowned, first at Phil then at the drink in his hand. He shrugged before tossing it back, placing the now empty glass on the coffee table, and sitting on said table in front of Phil. "Why didn't you just tell me. I could have made this party strictly non-alcoholic beverages only. It's not like you're the only one who doesn't drink. I mean, Cap can't get drunk and he doesn't like the taste of the 'new beers'. Bruce just chooses not to because he doesn't want to risk the chance of losing control. Pepper mostly drinks champagne. Rhodey doesn't drink when he has to ride the war machine home. and I'm pretty sure that intern girl is a little too young to be drinking."

"I didn't want to ruin the fun." Phil shrugged with one shoulder since Clint was still using the other one as a pillow/microphone.

Tony waves his hand in front of his face in the universal sign of ' _pshaaw'._ "A party is just as fun without the alcohol. You just have to be with the right people." He smiled warmly at Coulson.

Phil smiled back, "Thank you, Tony." 

Tony smiled at him again, this time a little more private, more sincere. He pat Phil's knee and left Clint and Phil on the couch in search for Steve, a huge mug of Asgardian ale in hand, muttering something about the supersoldier serum reacting to alien beer.

**Author's Note:**

> [Here on tumblr](http://promptmephlint.tumblr.com/post/106527998946/i-just-found-out-about-the-show-max-and-shred-and)


End file.
